Street Art in Melbourne

Melbourne's street art has become as well known an attraction in the city as famous attractions like Flemington Racecourse, or shopping. Rich and diverse, the street art occurs all over the city.

With the Melbourne Council actively supporting the placement of street art, provided building owners are compliant, it’s no surprise that the city’s street art has become so renowned. Street art in Melbourne includes stencil art, paste-ups and intricate murals. Straight tagging and graffiti is avoided in favour of beautiful art forms.

Street art in Melbourne is so celebrated that in 2004 the city hosted the first Stencil Festival in the world. It’s a celebration of street art with live demonstrations and artist talks as well as an exhibition and workshops held over 10 days. Whilst the Stencil Festival sadly hasn’t run since 2010, the street art scene is still thriving and is a testament to the popularity of this form of art.

So where are the best places to see street art in Melbourne? Walking tours of Melbourne abound – both guided and self-guided. Find one of the many maps to walk yourself around sites like Hosier Lane, Caledonian Lane, Union Lane, Degraves Street and Centre Place. Guided tours will provide you with access to more of the history and anecdotes of street art in the city and individual pieces. The best way to see the street art in Melboure though is to simply walk. Forget the maps, get lost, and be amazed.